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If DirecTV loses/gives up NFL-ST, I will probably be a goner. I have been a DirecTV subscriber since 1994 because of NFL-ST. But I am getting real tired of seeing all of the new subs getting free-this/free-that/free-ST and me just getting an increasing bill. I will find whatever provider will give me all of my Redskins games and dump everything else. Probably just go to an antenna and streaming on my HTPC. I am getting real tired of paying $100-something every month for 250-something channels and yet there is almost never anything on!

As to Red Zone .. I don't see how anyone can watch that for more than 5 minutes at a time! Therefore, I don't see how that has become viable competition to Ticket. It's like watching a movie trailer channel instead of actually going to the movie. I want to see every down of the game I'm watching, not some Cliff's Notes version of it.

BTW -- not sure how the hyperlink got inserted on my HTPC reference above, but that link has no significance to my setup.

For me, I'm watching Red Zone on my main 55" screen, and then jumping from game to game on my iPad. Yeah, it's a bit geeky. But I am a geek so...

Ever watch a football game without all the standing around? 20 minutes.

Actually it takes me around an hour. I hit the 30 second skip right at the whistle and unless the offense is running a no huddle that takes me right up to the next snap. Skipping commercials, halftime and replay reviews is a given.

"Without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible."--Frank Zappa

Actually it takes me around an hour. I hit the 30 second skip right at the whistle and unless the offense is running a no huddle that takes me right up to the next snap. Skipping commercials, halftime and replay reviews is a given.

Correct. I read an article on it last fall where the actual playing time in a NFL game is around 18 minutes.

What people don't get about baseball is that the "action" is not just the pitch, swing, etc. the action starts with the pitcher on the rubber, especially with a runner on base. Football is between the snap and the whistle, period.

NFL can be followed by idiots. I mean how is it you run an 8 second play then take a minute of rest. Go watch a rugby match they are REAL men. And hockey players are hit harder and sent wimps like football players. When the last time you had a fight in a NFL game and the guys weren't thrown out. NHL players go back get ten stitches plus spit out there teeth that they lost and come right back out. NFL players would be done for the season if they had that happen to them.

What people don't get about baseball is that the "action" is not just the pitch, swing, etc. the action starts with the pitcher on the rubber, especially with a runner on base. Football is between the snap and the whistle, period.

Exactly. The most interesting parts about baseball are the things most people skip over - what pitch is the catcher calling for (and why), what pitch does the pitcher want, how are the defenders positioned for a certain batter/scenario, etc. I love all that stuff

The NFL wants this to be exclusive. D* wants the price to be cheaper. They'll work something out.

2) If they don't, it'll still be on D*.

If the NFL can't get a deal with D*, I don't see them going exclusive with anyone else. It'll be available on most, if not all, major cable providers in addition to D*.

I think you are most correct.

This is not a simple negotiation for either side. The NFL could keep the price high but give DIRECTV more ad sales. The NFL could hold the price for a year or two--then continue to increase it. Or the NFL could move to a true PPV model instead. All would be interesting changes.

Couple of points to other posts (including Mike Florio): NFL ST was on C-band before DIRECTV. I waited as long as I could but DIRECTV hadn't announced NFL ST by the time the season started. So I was a BUD owner for 4 years before I moved.

NFL ST was a profit center all by itself. General subscribers did not subsidize NFL ST--at least up until fairly recently. Between NFL ST subs, bars, and ad sales DIRECTV was making money directly.

No single cable company will become an exclusive home to NFL ST. It will have to be a consortium agreement or non-exclusive agreement. Dish or DIRECTV are the only national resource that could hold an exclusive arrangement...unless...

Someone pulls the same trick that Fox did and starts a new satellite company around the NFL ST and gets bandwidth REAL fast. Would be VERY expensive and I don't know if a 3rd satellite provider would work.

I don't think NFL ST is leaving DIRECTV. Nor do I think it will be available to others. But it will be very interesting around the negotiating table...

NFL can be followed by idiots. I mean how is it you run an 8 second play then take a minute of rest. Go watch a rugby match they are REAL men. And hockey players are hit harder and sent wimps like football players. When the last time you had a fight in a NFL game and the guys weren't thrown out. NHL players go back get ten stitches plus spit out there teeth that they lost and come right back out. NFL players would be done for the season if they had that happen to them.

Your first line is a little harsh. Love football, baseball and hockey for different reasons and can appreciate the best parts of each.

Your first line is a little harsh. Love football, baseball and hockey for different reasons and can appreciate the best parts of each.

I like the NFL in fact I will more than likely be getting nflst. However the people on TV and some on here say that they hit harder than any other sport, also NFL people think the NFL is the biggest sport in the world. Well sorry to bust there bubble but soccer is. The reason I like rugby is it is non stop for 2 - 40 minute periods. If football was hurry up all game long and say the clock would read 10seconds after a play how many more plays would you see. Not to mention not getting timeouts during the game.

I like the NFL in fact I will more than likely be getting nflst. However the people on TV and some on here say that they hit harder than any other sport, also NFL people think the NFL is the biggest sport in the world. Well sorry to bust there bubble but soccer is. The reason I like rugby is it is non stop for 2 - 40 minute periods. If football was hurry up all game long and say the clock would read 10seconds after a play how many more plays would you see. Not to mention not getting timeouts during the game.

The last I heard, bass fishing beats all other sports. I scratch my head at that one, but could be true...

The problem with the NHL is they can't decide if they want to be boxing on ice or real hockey as played at nearly every other level. I'd like hockey. I'm not interested in boxing.

This is not a simple negotiation for either side. The NFL could keep the price high but give DIRECTV more ad sales. The NFL could hold the price for a year or two--then continue to increase it. Or the NFL could move to a true PPV model instead. All would be interesting changes.

Couple of points to other posts (including Mike Florio): NFL ST was on C-band before DIRECTV. I waited as long as I could but DIRECTV hadn't announced NFL ST by the time the season started. So I was a BUD owner for 4 years before I moved.

NFL ST was a profit center all by itself. General subscribers did not subsidize NFL ST--at least up until fairly recently. Between NFL ST subs, bars, and ad sales DIRECTV was making money directly.

No single cable company will become an exclusive home to NFL ST. It will have to be a consortium agreement or non-exclusive agreement. Dish or DIRECTV are the only national resource that could hold an exclusive arrangement...unless...

Someone pulls the same trick that Fox did and starts a new satellite company around the NFL ST and gets bandwidth REAL fast. Would be VERY expensive and I don't know if a 3rd satellite provider would work.

I don't think NFL ST is leaving DIRECTV. Nor do I think it will be available to others. But it will be very interesting around the negotiating table...

Peace,Tom

This may also be pressure on legal side to end the exclusive arrangement.

Now days cable can put local ad's over the feeds some that was not really do able back the last bid they made.

At the extreme lets say there is a join directv / cable deal where directv get's the missing cable only RSN channels and comcast and others get the rights to have NFL ticket. How much of the background work does directv do for NFL ST?? I head some say that ad's on rogers cable (canada) for it say only on directv in the fine print.

Hard to see us cable system (in most areas) with out some major changes get into the bars or do all games in HD (in most of there foot print) with out messing it up in some way. But then again this may be the kick in the pants that cable needs to get the out market sports HD and even in some places all in market feeds SD and HD feeds. (some cable system only have outer rings in SD / not all feeds or only have the main feed in HD and are missing alt / over feeds in HD even in the main market areas)

This may also be pressure on legal side to end the exclusive arrangement.

Now days cable can put local ad's over the feeds some that was not really do able back the last bid they made.

At the extreme lets say there is a join directv / cable deal where directv get's the missing cable only RSN channels and comcast and others get the rights to have NFL ticket. How much of the background work does directv do for NFL ST?? I head some say that ad's on rogers cable (canada) for it say only on directv in the fine print.

Hard to see us cable system (in most areas) with out some major changes get into the bars or do all games in HD (in most of there foot print) with out messing it up in some way. But then again this may be the kick in the pants that cable needs to get the out market sports HD and even in some places all in market feeds SD and HD feeds. (some cable system only have outer rings in SD / not all feeds or only have the main feed in HD and are missing alt / over feeds in HD even in the main market areas)

Also very few cable system have all the big ten alt feeds in HD.

One important detail...cable systems have been placing local ads for decades. Back in the 80s you could hear the tones that told the local cable when to start/stop ads.

I think the local channels wanted the local OTA ad's put on top of the NFL ST feeds and even to day I don't think the IN demand feeds are setup for to let that happen and for NFL ST I think they are RAW feeds or feeds that don't have the cable tones in them they may have OTA ones of it's more manual.

Also there is the issues of blackout at the head end level (cable) vs BOX (dtv)

I'm no soothsayer in any sense of the word, but I honestly believe that even if the NFL decides to expand distribution, this new position would in no way affect their negotiating position with the networks for regional coverage. The NFL will always be a premium product, especially considering the black-out rules.

So believe what you want, if the NFL can get double what DirecTV is paying from multiple broadcasters, I think they would take it. I would.

And, yes, I would leave a DirecTV if given a choice. The NFL cannot lose, DirecTV knows this no matter what happens.

NFL can be followed by idiots. I mean how is it you run an 8 second play then take a minute of rest. Go watch a rugby match they are REAL men. And hockey players are hit harder and sent wimps like football players. When the last time you had a fight in a NFL game and the guys weren't thrown out. NHL players go back get ten stitches plus spit out there teeth that they lost and come right back out. NFL players would be done for the season if they had that happen to them.